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Show LAW-DEFYING "MARTYRS." The great martyrs of nil ages were tormented tor-mented under pretense of law. Those who are persecuted today may expect tho s.imo treatment. It Is all In tho pro- pnimmo, and nil works to tho same end. But now tho climax 13 near. Tho consummation con-summation Is at hand. Courage, men of God! Patience, wives and children! Ro-jolce. Ro-jolce. Israel, for your redemption draw-eth draw-eth nigh! Dcscret News editorial, December Decem-ber "I, 1SS5. From the very beginning of the troubles trou-bles experienced by tho Mormon church, this is the manner of oncourage-ment oncourage-ment to defiance that has been held out lo the Mormon people, and which has brought upon them all of their woes. After having been driven from one untenable un-tenable position to another, the hiorarchs hio-rarchs havo incited their followers to stubborn defense of tho last b- just such utterances as this taken from tho editorial of tho Doseret News. Perhaps somo explanation will bo noccssarj' for tho purpose of exposing the precise nature na-ture of this particular rebolliousncss. Briefly stated, the histor3' of Polygamy Po-lygamy in Utah is that tho doctrino was first publicly promulgated in 1S52. Tho practice grow to such an alarming ex-lent ex-lent that in 1SG2 Congress passed a law forbidding it. This law was for man3' cars utterlj- ignored, and when this could bo dono no longer, was dctcrmin-cdly dctcrmin-cdly fought by tho church in the courts in Utah and up to Iho Supremo Court of tho United States. In 1S79 that tribunal tri-bunal declared tho Congressional enactment en-actment of 1S62 to bo constitutional, and under all recognized rules of good citizenship it then became tho duty of tho church to abide b.v that law. But this it refused lo do, attempting to have tho decision of tho Supremo Court reversed, in tho meantime pushing po-b'gniro' po-b'gniro' as hard as ever, despite the law and decision. However, when several 3-cars had been permitted to pass subsequent subse-quent to 1879, and it was found that the church had no intention of obeying the law, and that men and women wero being be-ing Tushed through tho polygamous endowment en-dowment house faster than ever, it was determined b3 the Federal officials, who had been fortified b.v tho Edmunds law, that tho rights of the Government should bo asserted and maintained. Thus it was that at the timo tho Descret News printed the editorial from which we quote CIS80) a vigorous campaign was being waged against polygamy and po-b'gamous po-b'gamous living in Utah Torritor3. Prosecutions wero numerous, and man3' or the offenders were at that moment incarcorated in the penitential. 1 These were what the News called "tho great martyrs" who were "tormented "tor-mented under pretense of law." Tho fact that there was then in existence a decisiou of the Supromo Court which differed from the view of the church organ in this matter did not deter that publication from inciting the saints to robollion against it, nor from encouraging encourag-ing them in the belief that victory would final- be theirs. The circumstance circum-stance that the church itself has sinco rpcognized tho justice and constitutionality constitu-tionality of that decision, and has announced an-nounced abandonment of tho teaching and practice of polygam3 is evidence from within that tho men who at that timo persisted in breaking tho law were not "martj-rs," but were merely what tho3- were lawbreakers. "Rejoice, Israel, for redemption draweth nigh!" How familiar that gilded pill has become to tho Mormon people! And' how patent the hypocrisy of tho protended prophetic naturo of that falso battle cry! Precisely tho same policy is being pursued toda3- iu respect of the ecclesiastical policy of political interference and domination. When the campaign for tho election of Apostle Reed Smoot to tho Senate was on for tho first time, what was tho cry ? It was urged among the Mormon people that now was the time for tho 'vindication of tho gospol in the halls of Congress." and that Brother Smoot was tho vory man to accomplish that vindication. Uudor a difforent cloak, it was nevertheless the samo old in-citement in-citement to support of the untenable position. In 1S85 tho effects of the cry wero to embitter the saints in their controversy with the Government, "and therefore to plunge them into such trouble that in a. few years the3" were glad to cry quits and to agroe to an unconditional surrender. Smoot 's intrusion in-trusion into the politics of Utah, as boss and chief "vindicator." is again bringing about a disturbance of affairs hero, and provoking a bittor controversy contro-versy that can never bo settled until there is another recession. Yot the Nows and tho political pulpiteers of 1 tho church aro still urging upon the saints their falso prophecy that vindication vindica-tion and victory for them aro at tno threshold. "Rejoice. Israel, for your redemption draweth night" is acam in effect tho cry. But it is as falso as it was of yore, as events will yet prove; for neither tho Mormon church nor any other similar organization can prevail pre-vail against patriotic Americanism. But. when will tho Mormou people over recognize the truth that tho News is a falso prophet and to them a disloyal dis-loyal leader? Only when thoy havo been onco moro brought faco to iaco with tho disaster that inevitably follows fol-lows obedience to its counsel? Wo wonderhut won-derhut for their sako, wo hope not. |